Upon Your Cattle
'"Upon Your Cattle" '''is the seventh episode of ''Genesis, the tenth season, and the 171st episode overall. It was narrated by Katarina, airing on October 14, 2015. In the episode, Preston, Chiara, and Alistaire travel to Australia when an epidemic begins to eradicate the livestock. The Episode SOUTH AUSTRALIA November 20, 2016 Damon Yulara sprinted outside his home, tears in his eyes. He pulled his ten-year-old daughter, Kai, into a tight hug. She had been missing for two days. "Kai," he whispered through the tears, "Where have you been?" Kai mumbled into his shoulder, but he didn't hear. She found her way home. Damon called his office, the Sheriff's station. "Kai came home," he said, "Close the investigation." "Yes, Sheriff," the Deputy said. Damon grabbed his daughter's hand. "Come inside. I've made breakfast." Damon sat her down at the kitchen table. He dropped eggs and bacon onto her plate. "Orange juice, Kai?" he asked. She responded, but Damon didn't really hear. He was still too relieved she was home. She said something about cows. Damon didn't notice. He didn't notice her bloody hands either. LONDON, ENGLAND "Terrible," Alistaire said, looking at the television. Across the world, reports of slaughtered cattle had come forth. Diseased livestock was what the Bible listed as the Fifth Plague. But the worst part was that none of these reports were true. There was no widespread slaughter, at least not yet reported. Only several cows dying on remote farms as random people desperately tried to gain fame by capitalizing on the plagues. Some families even had their children pose as Envoys. Chiara put on an interview with one of those families now. "It's horrific," an obese mother said next to her daughter, "She's been Consumed." "Tell us," a popular American TV host said, "What is your Gospel?" The girl stared straight ahead. "You cannot stop the clock. Tick tock tick tock. Jump the ship. Jump the dock. They will die on your rocks. I bring the plague of diseased livestock." The mother wailed. "THAT IS SO FAKE!" Chiara cried, "The girl is clearly fidgeting. I'd like to see her go two months without food and water." "How about sleep?" the TV host said. "She sleeps soundly," the mother said, "they're my only hours of peace. Isn't that right, Meagynn?" "I am the Envoy of Diseased Livestock," Meagynn said. Preston guffawed. "People are dumb," he said. Preston put on a more reputable news source. "While cattle deaths are being reported worldwide," a reporter said, "Perhaps none are more convincing of a plague than the complete slaughter of cows at Anna Creek Station, Australia. The largest working cattle station in the world, farmers awoke this morning to find a bloodbath of their product. At the time of the massacre, 17,000 cows were on the farm." Preston, Chiara, and Alistaire exchanged glances. Alistaire left to make a phone call. "Farmers, however," the reporter continued, "are not convinced that it was a premeditated massacre, but rather a disease, as it appears they bled out of their own accord." "Sounds like a plague," Preston said. "It is," Alistaire said, dropping his phone, "The jet is ready. We're going to Australia. After all, it's Sunday." "Plague Day," Chiara said. She turned to Preston. "You know, if these plagues continue like this--one plague every Sunday--the last one...the plague of death...it'll occur on Christmas." Preston frowned. "I hope that's not symbolic." SOUTH AUSTRALIA Kai Yulara went outside. She descended the steps of the porch and walked to the paddock in the backyard. Two cows, three sheep, and an ox were grazing in the morning sun. She approached them. She placed her hand on the side of the cow. "They will stir Until they rouse. One by one, They will be doused. They will not breed. They will not plow. A pestilence Upon your cows." The cow shuddered then collapsed. It spat out blood and rolled over. As Kai moved her eyes down the paddock, the other animals fell. Damon Yulara took another phone call. "Yes, Sam, yes, I know about the cattle. I don't know anything about it. No, I know. I can understand. Really? Yes, I'll go check on them now. I think Kai's out with them." Damon hung up and rubbed his head. His skull was pounding. Cattle deaths all across the province. Massive slaughter at Anna Creek. It was almost impossible. His hand dropped. He said the same thing last week when England was overrun by bugs. It couldn't be related... Damon dug through his dead wife's dresser drawers until he found her old Bible. He flipped to Exodus. The words swam before his eyes. He blinked until they focused. He felt lightheaded. "Blood...frogs...lice...wild flies..." He groaned. Then coughed. "Diseased livestock." He went out to the backyard to tell Kai, but he froze. The cattle were dead. So were the sheep. And Kai was standing over them. "Kai!" he said, "Don't look! I..." "They will stir Until they rouse. One by one, They will be doused. They will not breed. They will not plow. A pestilence Upon your cows." Damon backed away. "No..." he whispered, "You're not...you can't be...I promised your mother...KAI!" She repeated her Gospel. He doubled back into the house and snatched up the phone. His hands trembled. He dialed his friend in the Parliament. He needed someone who knew what was going on. "Kai is Consumed?" his friend asked, "Wait a second. We have orders for what to do." Damon expected to be patched through to the military. But instead, he got someone else. Someone royal. Prince William gave Damon the number of one Alistaire MacGuaire. DAY TWO Alistaire could only tell Mr. Yulara so many comforting words as the car sped toward South Australia. Chiara was really using her foot on the gas pedal. The car drove past dozens of fields, all littered with the corpses of cows, goats, sheep, and oxen. The pestilence had spread to the rest of the continent. In 24 hours, Australia was bereft entirely of its livestock. Forever. "Kai will be okay in four days," Alistaire said, "I know that's hard to...no, this is not God. Please don't say that. There is an explanation. It's what we're trying to find out. We'll see you and Kai soon. Keep her safe." Alistaire hung up. "I don't get it," Chiara said, "The past four plagues have been virtually harmless. I think a total of three lives were lost. Then, hundreds of thousands of animals--real animals--die suddenly. Many farmers lost food. They might die. This is the worst plague yet. But why are the plagues getting worse?" "Furthermore," Preston said, "Why was Liam the only one to be Consumed for longer than a week?" "That may not be true," Alistaire said, "Apparently Kai went missing three days ago. She returned yesterday. I think she may have walked to Anna Creek Station to bring the plague." "But will the plague still last six days?" Chiara asked. "Probably," Preston said, "Or maybe it will be months. Who knows?" "Excellent question," Chiara said, "Who is behind this?" "Or what," Preston said. "Here's another thought," Alistaire said, "We're not near a major world city. The largest city in the area is Adelaide and there aren't many cows there." "Well," Chiara said, "This is one of the worst places for a pestilence of diseased livestock could occur. Maybe..." "I don't think the plagues go where they are most destructive," Preston said, "Though Lake Mead being at full capacity and Anna Creek being the largest cattle station does support the theory, Paris does not rely as heavily on the Seine as other cities do with their rivers. And Beijing's lice epidemic was hardly notable." "I beg to differ," Chiara said, "My hair is gone. Chauve. Bald." "There it is," Alistaire said, "Anna Creek." Chiara stopped the car and all three took a deep breath. The fields were soaked with blood, cows rotting in their places. News teams were near the fences, filming. The farmers were burning the corpses. "Good God," Preston muttered. Alistaire sighed. "Let's hope not." DAY FOUR Damon fell victim to the spreading illness. He felt he deserved it. It was karma. The world's revenge. He was the one who had gotten drunk six years ago. He was the one who hit both Kai and his wife. He was the one who knocked his wife down the stairs. How her blood had spilt then. It looked like the fields outside now. Her eyes were bereft of life, but she survived until the next morning. Until Damon could sober up enough to realize what he had done. He had made her a promise then to keep Kai safe. But she had been Consumed. He had failed. He hoped he would die. DAY SIX The world had changed again by the end of the Fifth Plague. With a serious genocide of cattle, many countries had outlawed beef dishes. Including hamburgers. Several cow species approached endangerment. But the worst side-effect from the plague was the diseases. The deaths had spread diseases like wildfire throughout Australia. Those close to the cows became infected. Nearly every farmer at Anna Creek died by the end of the week. By the end of November, 2016, over two thousand Australians would be dead from the diseases. On Day Four, Damon Yulara took to his bed after falling ill. Chiara didn't think he would last past Day Six. "It's almost time," Preston told Damon, who coughed. Blood dribbled from his lips. "Kai..." he muttered. Kai was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her father, but not really seeing. Preston, Chiara, and Alistaire were wearing surgical masks and gloves to prevent becoming infected. As they learned from Yunqi in Beijing, the Envoys were protected from their plagues. Kai blinked. "Here it comes," Preston said, "Get ready." Chiara filmed with her phone. "Plague Five is birthed," Kai gasped, "The Gospel of Earth." She coughed and then hacked up parts of a cow udder. The gunk turned black, then swirled away. "Kai?" Damon croaked. "Dad..." Kai said, "I saw you fall ill. I knew you were sick. I'm so sorry." "You knew?" Damon said with a smile, "You could see?" "I was conscious," Kai said, "I knew." She hugged her father. "Kai, I'm so sorry," Damon whispered. Kai was silent. She watched as her father's head rolled to the side, the life leaving his body. Preston, Chiara, and Alistaire left them alone. "Gospel of Earth," Chiara said, "That's new." "I'll have Kai sent to the Scot," Alistaire said, "The Porters and Walkers can care for her." "What about Yunqi?" Chiara asked. "Didn't show," Alistaire said, "Liam said his parents wouldn't allow it." "Poor girl," Preston said, "Kai, I mean. Both her parents now." "She won't be the last orphan born of the plagues," Alistaire said and walked away, arms crossed, head down. "We can't stop the Sixth Plague," Chiara said, "These diseases are widespread and may just cause the next plague. The next one is boils. And it's going to be bad. I don't know how we are going to find the Consumed Envoy." "We always do," Preston said. "I can't believe we've been doing this for five weeks," Chiara said, "My old life seems so far away." Preston saw Chiara draw breath behind her surgical mouth. Her eyes were scared. Preston took Chiara's hand. She didn't pull away. Production Continuity and Story Arcs For the first time, the plague arrives to international attention with full knowledge of the Gospels and Envoys. Several families try to pass off their children as being the Envoy. 17,000 cows die at Anna Creek Station in Southern Australia, poisioned by the Fifth Envoy, Kai Yulara, who disappeared two days earlier. When Damon Yulara, father of the Envoy and Sheriff of his town, discovers his daughter's condition, he contacts the Australian Parliament. The Parliament was given instructions to contact the royal family if a Consumption was found. Thus, Prince William put Damon in contact with Alistaire MacGuaire. The Fifth Plague was by far the most intensive, destroying the entire cattle population of Australia. Chiara realized that if the plagues continue as they do, the last one will occur on Christmas. Damon Yulara killed his wife six years ago and subsequently died at the end of the episode. The reason for this was revealed in "Hardened Heart (Part Two)." Trivia *The episode title, "Upon Your Cattle," is a reference to both the Gospel and a line from the Plague Song from Prince of Egypt. *The obese mother from the interview was based on Honey Boo Boo's mother. *The daughter's name, Meagynnn, is a jab at families that name their children common names with absurd spellings. Category:Episodes Category:Genesis Episodes